June 19, 2014

The total value of the Kingdom's non-oil commodity exports in the first quarter of 2014 amounted to SR 54.8 billion ($14.62 billion) compared to SR 46.2 billion ($12.3 billion) during the same quarter of 2013, up by 18.7 percent from the first quarter of 2013, down 1.9 percent from the 4th quarter of last year, while the total weight of exports in the first quarter of 2014 reached 13.29 million tons compared to 11.67 million tons in the same period of 2013, an increase of 13.9 percent

In a report released today, the Central Department of Statistics and Information (CDSI) said the total value of the Kingdom's imports during the first quarter of 2014 amounted to SR 152.156 billion ($40.6 billion) compared to SR 156.8 billion ($41.8 billion) during the first quarter of 2013, down by 3 percent and up by 1.7 percent compared to the 4th quarter of 2013, while the total weight of imports during first quarter of 2014 reached 18.61 million tons compared to 19.47 million tons during the first quarter of 2013, down 4.4 percent.

Further, the value of exports of non-petroleum commodity amounted to SR 54.8 billion, up 36 percent compared to the value of the Kingdom's imports during the first quarter of 2014, while the value of non-oil exports during the first quarter of 2013 was SR 46.2 billion ($12.3 billion) by 29.5 percent of the value of the Kingdom's imports during the same period.

The value of non-oil exports amounted to SR 202.5 billion ($54 billion) by 32.1 percent of the value of the Kingdom's imports in 2013, while the value of non-oil exports during 2013 was SR 57.2 billion ($15.3 billion) by 32.2 percent of the value of the Kingdom's imports during the same period.

Also, the value of the Kingdom's non-petroleum exports of national origin to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) during the first quarter reached SR 7.5 billion ($2 billion) compared to SR 7.7 billion ($2 billion ) during the first quarter of 2013, down 2.4 percent while the value of imported goods with national origin from GCC during the period amounted to SR 12.2 billion ($3.3 billion) compared to SR 12.6 billion ($3.4 billion) during the first quarter of 2013, down 3.2 percent.

In its report, the CDSI pointed out that the value of exports of chemical industry products reached SR 18.5 billion ($4.9 billion) representing 33.8 percent of the total value of non-petroleum exports, plastics and rubber products ranked second with a value of SR 17.6 billion ($4.7 billion) by 32.1 percent, while equipment of transportation and parts thereof came in third place with 10.2 percent of the total value of exports.

Moreover, the report said that the value of the Kingdom's imports of machinery, equipment, electrical appliances and parts thereof amounted to SR 39.6 billion ($10.6 billion) representing 26 percent of the total value of imports during the first quarter of 2014, which transport equipment and parts thereof ranked second with a value of SR 26.7 billion ($7.1 billion) representing 17.5 percent, and in the third place came the metals and products thereof with a value of SR 18.8 billion ($5 billion) representing 12.4 percent of the imports.

The CDSI stressed in its report that China ranked first in terms of the value of non-petroleum exports in the first quarter of 2014 by 12 percent of the total value of exports, while the United Arab Emirates ranked second by 11.4 percent, followed by Singapore in the third place by 7.1 percent.

It explained that the United States of America topped the exporting countries of the Kingdom by 13.2 percent of total imports, followed by China with 12.9 percent and Germany in the third place by 7.3 percent.